The pancake welding hood is a design style (or shape) referred to a specific kind of helmets in the welding industry. Such welding helmets, masks or hoods, take their name from their shape, because it is compared to the shape of a pancake.
The reason why this happens, is mainly the front part of the welding helmet, which is round as a pancake, and fairly flat without being too thick. With this description, you can see why the term pancake is used to describe this specific type of welding helmets.
Welding hoods like the Pancake Welding Hood by Sarge, tend to be completely round to cover the entire face, and extremely thin to reduce their weight. Another great example of such a helmet, is the Original Pancake Welding Hood Right Hand, which is specifically designed for right handed welders. Of course, you can find welding hoods for left-handed welder easily too.
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What is a pancake welding hood?
- pancake welding hoodComposition: Lightweight balsa...
- Weight: 12.5 oz.
- Dimensions: ◦Face shield: 10.5" ◦Side Shield:...
- Available in right-hand or left-hand models.
- Each hood is hand crafted with attention to...
Like we mentioned in the introduction of this article, the term pancake refers to the shape of the particular type of welding hood. There are many variations available in the big marketplaces and shops, and they can be used for various types of welding processes depending on your requirements.
One of the most common types of welders that use pancake welding masks, are the pipeline welders. Although you can find welding helmets specifically designed for pipe welders, such as the awesome and affordable Pipeliner™ Superglas® White Welding Helmet which you can find here, pancake welding hoods are also widely used for pipeline welding processes.
They are ideal for this type of welding, because they have a shield side, which is designed to protect the other side of the face from sparks or harmful rays, like ultraviolet while the welding takes place. This feature, is one of the most important advantages compared to the rest of the helmets.
What is more, apart from the high protection levels that they offer to the welder, they are considered one of the most efficient welding helmets when it comes to taking action outdoors. This is due to the balsa box that comes along with them, which makes them even more necessary for pipeline welders and welders that work outside.
What is the role of the balsa box?
The balsa box is in fact a compact-shaped box which comes along with the pancake hood. It is designed in order to surround and protect the eyes of the welder, and its specific purpose is to hold and stabilize the lens of the helmet.
The role of the balsa box is to provide stability between the lens and the eyes, by allowing them to contact with each other and remain steady. They are usually handmade, or specifically designed to fit the shape of the eye and the face of the user.
In order to provide proper convenience and comfort to the pipeline welder, the balsa box has to be designed and structured with accuracy so that it fits the eyes of the welder precisely. This way, the light from the arc and the rays can be avoided, and there is no uncomfortable pressure for the owner during the welding process.
Providing absolute sealing, the balsa box gives the welder the ability to avoid every type of light that would prevent him from doing his job effectively. Without accidental reflection that might happen in the inside of the hood, you can avoid glares from arc or sunlight and work without any issues.
This is why pancake welding hoods like the Pancake Welding Hood by Sarge (check here for info) are considered a major asset for welding outdoors. Using it, you can work without the light of the sun reflecting into your welding helmet, and causing discomfort and visibility problems, especially with projects that require maximum accuracy.
Regarding the efficiency of a balsa box, you should also know that the inside part of the box is usually painted black in order to minimize light reflections as much as possible. Using it, it can be a major help for your pipeline welding projects.
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What are the advantages of a pancake welding hood?
The first thing that you have to keep in mind, is that pancake welding hoods are made of balsa wood, which is one of the lightest varieties of wood in the world. This is why the particular type of welding helmets are so massively used for pipeline welding.
Apart from balsa, you can also find pancake welding hoods that are made of pine wood, which is also light and has nice quality too.
The main advantage of the material, is that it allows the pancake helmet and the balsa box to be shaped fairly easy, so that they can fit the shape of the head, the face and the eyes of the pipeline welder. Having the right shape is critical, since it prevents discomfort during difficult welding procedures such as pipeline.
As far as welding outside is concerned, the pancake hood and the balsa box are two great tools for welders. They can prevent all kinds of light reflections, and the outer shield can be used to stabilize and seal the helmet on the head, especially around the area of the eyes, making it highly protective.
Last but not least, both tools are a great way to reduce fatigue, and make the pipeline welding process a lot easier for welder. That is very important for those that tend to work long hours outdoors under the light of the sun, or in difficult welding positions.
Why use a pancake welding hood?
There are lots of reasons that pipeline welders should use a pancake welding hood. The most important being their flexibility, since they can be used both for indoor and outdoor projects, offering the same levels of efficiency and protection.
In addition to this, pancake helmets such as the Original Pancake Welding Hood Right Hand which you can check here, can be used with an auto darkening lens, usually for indoor weldings, or you can attack a different type of lens depending on the requirements of your project.
Lastly, an important reason why you should use a pancake welding hood, is the fact that you can very easily find them and purchase them in very affordable, and sometimes significantly low prices. They are considered one of the cheapest type of welding helmet in comparison to the rest ones.
Conclusion
Pancake welding hoods are an essential protective head gear for pipeline welders, that will offer them the ability to work comfortably no matter the time required to complete their projects or the difficulty levels of the welding position.
You can easily find them in the big marketplaces, and you can rest assured that they are going to keep you safe from UV rays, arc light and sunlight reflections.